Local jobless numbers show slow improvement

By DOUG McDONOUGH Herald Editor

Published 1:56 pm, Monday, September 23, 2013

Photo: Doug McDonough/Plainview Herald

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Scores of former Cargill Meat Solution employees, put out of work with last week’s closure of the local beef packing plant, crowd around various job recruiters Wednesday at a Texas Workforce Commission-sponsored employment fair at the Ollie Liner Center. Sixty-six businesses and organizations set up tables at the jobs fair, with about 1,100 prospective workers participating in the day-long event. less

Scores of former Cargill Meat Solution employees, put out of work with last week’s closure of the local beef packing plant, crowd around various job recruiters Wednesday at a Texas Workforce ... more

Photo: Doug McDonough/Plainview Herald

Local jobless numbers show slow improvement

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Local officials are encouraged by Hale County’s 12.0 percent unemployment rate for August, despite the fact that it is almost double the state’s seasonally adjusted mark of 6.4 percent.

That’s because the local jobless rate is down from a high of 13.1 percent following the closure in late January of Cargill Meat Solutions — the county’s largest single employer. For July, the county’s jobless rate was 12.6 percent.

“Those numbers are really encouraging,” said Plainview-Hale County Industrial Foundation Executive Director Kevin Carter, “particularly given the fact that unemployment benefits for our Cargill workers will be running out in the next few days.”

According to figures provided by the local Workforce Solutions South Plains office in Plainview, 2,098 of the county’s total workforce of 17,461 were seeking employment. That roughly matches the 2,000 jobs lost when the Cargill beef packing plant closed.

Following last month’s report, local Workforce Solutions director Don Hill commented, “We’re beginning to see improvement, with some local businesses now hiring. They are placing job orders, but not big numbers like 10 or more.”

Two of the local industries which have been taking job applications in recent weeks have been White Energy, which is expecting to resume production at its local ethanol plant in late October, as well as Andulucia Nuts, which is starting up operations in the former Plainview Produce/U.S. Fiberglass plant on North I-27.

As a result of Cargill’s closing, the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this summer announced a National Emergency Grant of $2,066,314 to provide assistance to affected workers. Awarded to the Texas Workforce Commission, the grant is designed for eligible dislocated workers to receive re-employment services.

“The Labor Department’s funding will allow former Cargill workers to receive critical services and training that helps them obtain jobs in other growth industries in the area,” said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris at the time. “Skills are the leading edge of economic development for communities across the country, and this grant reflects our commitment to workforce investment.”

Hill said the grant will assist the displaced workers with various training needs, including training to enter other occupations as well as on-the-job training.

Assistance also is available for Workforce clients who need English As A Second Language (ESL) and basic adult education or GED classes. Additional information on those programs are available by contacting Workforce Solutions South Plains at 806-293-8566.

For most of the Herald readership area, the unemployment numbers for August were positive, with only Briscoe and Castro counties showing an increase in the jobless rate.

Briscoe went from a jobless rate of 7.3 percent in July to 7.5 percent in August, while Castro increased from 5.5 percent to 5.6 percent.

Floyd went down from 9.8 percent to 9.3; Lamb down 7.2 to 7.0; and Swisher down 8.7 to 8.5. Lubbock County’s jobless rate declined from 5.8 percent in July to 5.1 percent in August.

Statewide, the unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent in August, down from 6.5 percent in July, and from 6.8 percent a year ago.

The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area had the lowest August unemployment rate in the state at 3.2 percent. The Odessa MSA came in second at 3.9 percent and the Amarillo MSA third at 4.7 percent (not seasonally adjusted).